Gorgeous Gloves

Every gardener needs a good set of gloves, but with so many options in the marketplace, from lightweight to rugged, plain to outlandish, where does the gal with a bit of fashion sense begin?

Right here! Good gloves are essential in the garden, whether you’re working with containers or digging deep into dirt beds, and you need a pair of gloves that can keep up with you.

“But does it matter which type I select? Gloves are gloves, aren’t they?”

No. Believe me, all gloves are not created equally and they differ in substantial ways. Take these pretty floral gloves. The pattern is sweet, the colors calming, but these are made of 100% cotton–great for wash and wear, not so much if you plan to do some serious weeding. Why?

They simply won’t hold up. Not for long, anyway. Trust me. I’ve worn more than a few holes in my attractive floral gloves and have learned my lesson. Cotton is great for patio gardening, working with containers, a weed pull here and there, but don’t expect these lady gloves to hang with you women in the garden.

On the other hand, if you line your pretty paisley print gloves with leather, you should be good to go. These are from Womanswork, a website geared specifically toward meeting the needs of women gardeners, and are great for feeding, pruning, dead heading… Suitable for much of your home gardening needs!

My only reservation on this style is keeping them clean. I don’t know about you, but when I’m in the garden, I get dirty, sometimes head to toe! (Usually children are involved at that point.) I like the option of running my gloves through the washer, something I cannot do with this particular paisley.

Which is why my personal preference is the latex coated, cotton lined gloves such as these Atlas Fit Work Gloves. They’re not as pretty as I’d like, but they do the job they’re designed to do–work the garden. I can be wielding a shovel, tugging out weeds or tearing through dirt, these gloves can keep up. The cotton material across the back of the gloves is great for swiping a hot brow while the latex has yet to give way on me. “Look ma–no holes!”

Important. The last thing I have time for is glove shopping. I have plants to plant, weeds to weed, kids to feed–

Oh, wrong subject. My apologies for the topic digression, but you get my point. I’m a busy gal with no time for gloves that need mending or tossing to the scrap pile–I’ve got gardening awaitng!

And don’t forget the kids. If your children are involved in the garden, they’ll need gloves, too. And if they’re not involved, buying them a pair of their very own cool/cute set of gloves is a way of getting them involved,

Melissa & Doug is a company well-known for its play toys made from natural materials like wood and twine, but did you know they also sell garden gloves?

They do! And cute ones, at that. Just look at these adorable butterfly gloves. My daughter spotted these and was ready to garden that afternoon. They have bugs for the boys (very appealing to my “nature boy” son).

For the older child with more sophisticated tastes, you may be interested in this subtle blue floral design by Ethel gloves. They’re simple, elegant, and come in adult sizes, as well. Made with a breathable stretch fabric, they’re comfortable AND washable. Nice, aren’t they?

I haven’t touched upon leather gloves, because in Florida, they don’t seem a good fit. Too hot, too stifling. However, leather is a sturdy material which will hold up well, though how you keep them clean is beyond me.

No matter which type of glove you choose, remember the “task at hand” is what’s important. Make sure your selection is appropriate for the level of work you expect to do. Buy more than one pair–one for indoors and one for outdoors! Most are reasonably priced between $10 – $30, depending on material. You can find any of the above gloves with a simple search via the internet.

Now that you know how to make your fashion statement, get out there and get busy girls–we’ve got plants to grow!

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3 Comments

Great info…. thanks! I also love the Atlas gloves and have several pairs of them, plus a lovely set of floral gloves with leather palms. I use leather gauntlets for working with the roses, otherwise, I would be scarred for life.

Check the labels on leather gloves if you do a lot of rose gardening. We have bought several pairs of leather gloves that are machine washable and dryable! (I know, BE STILL MY HEART!) And I have washed them and they came out soft and comfy… the same way they went in except CLEAN. At least one set that I have came from Wal-Mart and they are even adjustable at the wrist.

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